Juicebox Podcast: Type 1 Diabetes

Episode #1812 – Family Ties: Part 1
Host: Scott Benner
Guests: Crystal Kremenes & Jason (her brother)
Date: March 31, 2026

Episode Overview

In this emotionally rich and candid episode, host Scott Benner welcomes siblings Crystal Kremenes and her brother Jason—both living with type 1 diabetes, and children of a father who also lived with T1D. Titled “Family Ties,” this first part of a two-part conversation explores the multigenerational impact of type 1 diabetes, unique family dynamics, inherited guilt and coping, and how standards and resources for diabetes care have evolved. The conversation balances humor, vulnerability, and honest reflection as the siblings recount their personal journeys, lessons learned, and the turning point when yet another generation in their family was diagnosed with T1D.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Family Diabetes History and Dynamics

• Both Crystal (diagnosed at 14) and Jason (diagnosed two years later at 17) are siblings, and their father was diagnosed with T1D at age 3.
• The diagnosis narrative captures the normalization of extreme symptoms due to family experience and misguided expectations that T1D would “skip a generation.”
  • Crystal: “I think dad was in denial...because it was his fault.” [12:00]
  • Jason: “You know all this is going on, yet for me...I don't understand how things weren't caught sooner.” [11:32]
• Family did not explicitly discuss diabetes, despite living with it daily.
  • Jason: “I don't remember, as a family, like, ever talking about type 1 diabetes.” [22:22]
  • Crystal: “It wasn't spoken about...that's the only thing [my dad] ever knew.” [24:14]

2. Experiences of Diagnosis and Management

• Crystal describes excessive thirst, frequent urination, and repeated undiagnosed lows prior to official diagnosis, with the school nurse simply offering juice to address symptoms. [08:59-09:50]
• Diagnosis was delayed, even with a diabetic parent, due to denial and lack of awareness.
• Both siblings began with “old school” diabetes management: strict regimen, few daily fingersticks, Regular and NPH insulin, little real-time data, and minimal emotional support.
  • Crystal: “You tested your blood sugar four times a day. You took your regular insulin and your NPH in the morning...and you didn't care about it.” [20:06]

3. Parental Guilt and Emotional Weight

• Their father felt intense guilt for “passing on” diabetes, breaking down emotionally during Crystal’s ICU admission.
  • Crystal: “That was the first time I ever saw my father cry...he felt so bad that he gave it to me.” [17:57]
• Dad’s guilt resurfaced when a grandchild (Jason’s son) was diagnosed, marking a pivotal emotional turning point.
  • Jason: “I think when Wesley was diagnosed is the first time I visibly saw [our dad] feel that kind of pain.” [48:20]

4. Sibling Differences: Coping, Approaches & Impact

• Crystal tended toward running higher blood sugars, motivated by traumatic memories of her father's severe lows and later, Jason's dangerous hypoglycemic episode.
  • Crystal: “I think that’s partially why I let my blood sugars be higher.” [42:53]
• Jason, a sports enthusiast, was more aggressive and risk-tolerant with insulin for better athletic performance:
  • Jason: “If my number was good, I played a lot better...so I was pretty bold with insulin even back then.” [39:01]
• Each sibling’s self-management evolved independently, with little discussion between them in young adulthood due to physical distance and limited technology.
  • Crystal: “We didn’t have cell phones, we didn’t have FaceTime...I didn’t have my diabetic brother.” [43:53]

5. Intergenerational Change and the Power of Technology

• Diabetes management improved dramatically for both with advancing technology (CGM, pumps). Their experience illustrates the generational gap between “doing what the doctor said” and today’s data-driven management.
  • Crystal: “My last [A1C] was 6.89...for the first 10 years, I was 11 or better.” [28:35-28:53]
• Convincing their father to try modern tools was a struggle, with his eventual switch happening after seeing his grandchildren’s successful use.
  • Crystal: “It took a lot of years of us actually doing it ourselves for him to see that it was okay to use modern technology.” [31:00]
  • Jason: “That’s really recent...I would say it was even after the first of my 2 type 1 diabetic boys was diagnosed.” [31:17]

6. The Emotional Cost of “Normal”

• Silence and minimization of diabetes—rooted in family habits and cultural limitations—delayed optimal outcomes and fueled internalized stigma or avoidance, particularly for Crystal in her social life and romantic relationships.
  • Crystal: “I was kind of awkward...I didn’t know how to approach it with other people because I didn’t know anybody else who was diabetic, except for my dad.” [32:39-32:47]
• Jason’s near-fatal low in San Diego underscored the risks of isolation; he recounts being saved by a friend who found him seizing, alone in his apartment.
  • Jason: “She came in...you were laying halfway underneath the coffee table...you’d thrown up all over yourself and you were kind of drooling at the mouth.” [41:19]

7. Family Dynamics and Turning Points

• Children with diabetes prompted new conversations and more proactive attitudes across generations.
  • Jason: “Having Wesley diagnosed was kind of the catalyst within our family to actually start talking about it.” [45:02]
  • Crystal: “Wesley’s diagnosis was a big turning point in the family, that it was okay to talk about it and that we needed to talk about it because what has always been done wasn’t working for any of us.” [47:37]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “No, it was just — it was a mutt. Mama was a Little Whore.” – Crystal, on the family dog’s lineage, sparking laughter and suggestions for a podcast episode title. [14:11]
• “It’s not my fault I haven’t had the birthday yet this year!” – Crystal, on age calculations and diagnosis dates. [03:44]
• On comparing management eras:
  Scott: “Isn’t that silly that it’s just that simple? Like that you just had a hobby that you wanted to be able to do and so you were more aggressive with it.” [39:24]
• Crystal’s regret:
  Crystal: “I regret not taking it more seriously when I first got married and having my own, but I don’t regret the two [stepdaughters] that I have.” [36:52]
• On technology’s role:
  Crystal: “There wasn’t a whole lot of research available...we didn’t have podcasts, we didn’t have forums online. We didn’t have other diabetics to reach out to.” [29:13]

Important Timestamps

• [02:53] Introducing the guests and their family relationship
• [08:59] Crystal recalls symptoms and the diagnostic process
• [17:47] Father's guilt and first emotional breakdown
• [20:06] Revisiting standard management in the 90s
• [22:22] Never discussing T1D as a family
• [28:35] Crystal’s improved A1C and changes in management
• [39:01] Jason’s aggressive insulin strategy for sports
• [41:19-42:21] Jason’s severe low/seizure story in San Diego
• [45:02] The impact of a next-generation diagnosis
• [47:37] Siblings reflect on the family’s turning point after Wesley’s diagnosis

Conclusion

Part 1 of “Family Ties” offers a profound look at how type 1 diabetes weaves through generations, shapes personalities, and forces hard reckonings with family legacy, personal responsibility, and evolving standards of care. The episode is rich with humor, lived wisdom, self-deprecating candor, and insight into how families adapt—or sometimes fail to adapt—across decades of diabetes care. With the next part to continue the conversation, listeners are left reflecting on the power of dialogue and the difference community and technology can make in living boldly with insulin.

Find part two of this episode in your feed now.